ONE - WATER TURNED INTO BLOOD
The Nile River was considered a god by the Egyptians. To turn it to blood was an insult to the river as a god... To turn it to blood, so quickly and so suddenly, must have frightened them... Life in Egypt revolves about the Nile River.
Jasher 80:3-5 tells us that even the water in the pitchers and cups of Egypt turned into blood, and the food, dough, etc. into which the water had been put, appeared as blood.
TWO - FROGS
The Egyptians had a frog god named Heka (or Heket). Some frogs were always about the Nile, but suddenly, there were a multitude... They infested everything... including their homes and food supplies.
Jasher 80:6-8 tells us that the water of Egypt, in river, in pitcher, in even the water of the perspiration of the Egyptians, there were the "tadpoles" of the frogs growing...
THREE - LICE
According to some, lice polluted the temple, so the plague of lice was an insult to the temple of gods. Another interpretation is that Seth was the god of earth to the Egyptians, and this plague insulted him by polluting the earth. Out of the dust came these lice (or mosquitoes, or gnats). So terrible was this that even the Egyptian magicians were convinced it was from God.
Jasher 80:10-11 tells us the lice were so numerous that the lice came to the height of two cubits (36 inches) in Egypt.
FOUR - FLIES
The gadfly is the sacred beetle of Egypt, so this was an insult to the god Khepra. They afflicted man and beast, but Israel was immune to this plague.
Jasher 80:13-22 tells us that this plague was not simply flies... in fact the word "flies" is not in the Hebrew, but an interpretation added by the translators... The literal reading says "swarms" but does not identify "swarms" of what... It was fiery serpents, scorpions, mice, weasels, toads, and other creeping bugs of the dust... It included flies, hornets, bugs, gnats, reptiles, and winged animals... These all probably bred quickly with the immense food of the lice of the previous plague.
Psalms 78:45 says that:
"He sent divers sorts of flies (swarms) among them..."
The Egyptians fled and locked themselves in their homes from the plague. God sent a sea monster called Salanuth (the one who draws out and make shake and quiver) that had long arms, fifteen feet long, to go upon the roofs of the Egyptians and uncover their protection. The swarms of animals and pests came freely into their homes thereby.
FIVE - MURRAIN, AN EPIDEMIC AMONG THE LIVESTOCK
The cattle (esp. the horses) were sacred to the Egyptians. Cattle were especially venerated. Cattle were worshipped. Israel was exempted from this plague. The calf was the chief god of the Egyptians, and this was an insult to that god of the Egyptians.
Jasher 80:24-26 tells us that 90 per cent of the cattle belonging to the Egyptians died, but not one of the cattle belonging to the Israeli people died.
SIX - BOILS
Murrain was only on the beasts, but this was on man as well. Ashes were used by the priests to bless the people. This curse turned a blessing into a curse. Others associate this plague with Neit, the great mother of heaven to the Egyptians.
Jasher 80:27-28 tells us that the skin burst with this curse, caused great itching, and made their flesh waste away, and become rotten and putrid.
It had been six months since the first plague, and each plague grows in intensity...
SEVEN - HAIL
Isis and Serapis were the gods of fire and water. Yet they could not protect the Egyptians from the hail... There was a merciful warning given to the believing Egyptians to save their cattle from this plague... In this day, when the nations of the world are experiencing periodic plagues from God, and when the church itself is being plagued by God for its sins, there are warnings sent by the mouths of God's prophets... Most are unheeded, unfortunately!
The word translated "hail" is the Hebrew word "barad" and is usually translated "meteorites..." This explains the fire mentioned with the hail... It was not ordinary hail, but a rain of fiery meteorites...
Jasher 80:30-32 tells us that the hail ("barad") was mingled with fire, and the destruction of the heavy hail, and the fire consumed and destroyed fruit trees, green herbs, and killed man and beast ...
There were sounds of "thunder" (Hebrew = "kolot", meaning "loud noises") with the fall of hail. These loud noises were the explosions of the falling meteorites. The "hail" in Exodus 9:23 is a different word, from the Hebrew "naptha" meaning "oil." The oxygen of the atmosphere when it mixes with the hydrogen and carbon of a comet tail can produce an oil like mixture that can explode, burn, and cause great destruction. This plague seems to describe a comet tail passing by the earth, and causing great devastation on just the property of the Egyptians.
EIGHT - LOCUSTS
The gods of Egypt were to protect Egypt from locusts, and could not. In a vast cloud, they came and covered the earth to a depth of 4 to 5 inches... The threat of it caused the Pharaoh' officials to beg.
Jasher 80:33-35 tells us that the four stages of locust (as also mentioned in Joel 1 and 2 are all present and destructive in Egypt at this time.
The Bible indicates that there had never been a locust plague as bad as this one. (Exodus 10:14-15)
NINE - DARKNESS
The darkness was aimed at Ra, the sun god of the Egyptians. And it was against the Egyptian god, Set, the evil one who claimed to be able to cause darkness... There were three days of darkness. According to Jasher, and other ancient Hebrew writings, the darkness was with substance, and the light of lamps, and candles could not penetrate it. It became so dark that one could not see the person standing next to him.... Pharaoh yielded, but hardened himself again later.
Jasher 80:36-40 tells us that it was so thick a darkness on the Egyptians, that they could not move... nor see to even rise out of bed... Many died due to the darkness.
TEN - DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN
The Pharaoh was considered divine, so the tenth plague was against the divine heir to the throne. Nearly a year after the plagues started, this plague finally brought the nation of Egypt to its knees.
In that culture, and in many others, the firstborn was the "primogeniture" meaning the chief heir of a man, to his property, his name, and his rights... The eldest son was therefore the most important of the children. To strike down the firstborn was a great tragedy to each family... The plagues each intensified, and if the nation of Egypt had not yielded here... can you imagine the eleventh or twelfth plague?!?! This last plague struck at midnight. Midnight was (to the Egyptians) the time the gods fought. God demonstrated to them that Jehovah had conquered all the gods of the Egyptians...
Exodus 12:12
"...against all the gods of Egypt,
I will execute judgment. I am the Lord..."
The heir to the Egyptian throne was called "erpa suten sa"` which meant that he was the hereditary crown prince. Upon his ascension to the throne, he was to be "deity."
To strike him dead, meant the death of the divine heir apparent - a blow to the religion of Egypt. If Pharaoh had further resisted, God would have probably taken his life in an eleventh plague. The reason all the firstborn of all Egypt had been killed, was that all Egypt had joined in the enslavement of Israel.
Jasher 80:43-48 tells us that even the firstborn who had died earlier than the judgment of the tenth plague, were dug up by dogs that night and their bones dragged before the Egyptians...
The signs and wonders enhanced the position of the prophet, Moses. By the tenth plague, Moses' stature, and the stature of the Hebrew people for whom he interceded were changed.